Germany may have blocked the EU’s Chat Control
EU lawmakers were set to vote on the Chat Control law next week, which critics argue undermines encrypted messaging and people’s right to privacy as it requires services such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal to allow regulators to screen messages before they are encrypted and sent.
The legislation, however, has been dealt a heavy blow, with the head of Germany’s largest political party coming out in opposition. Germany, which holds 97 seats in the European Parliament, was seen as having the final say on whether it would pass.
The president of messaging app Signal, Meredith Whittaker, said on Thursday that while Germany’s opposition to the measure is a relief, she warns that “the war is not over,” because it now moves to “the European Council, where the issue is unresolved.”
She also warns that any further attempts to enact similar measures allowing the scanning of content should be opposed because it negates encryption and also creates “a dangerous backdoor.”
“The technical consensus is clear: you can’t create a backdoor that only lets the 'good guys' in. However they're dressed up, these proposals create cybersecurity loopholes that hackers and hostile nations are eagerly waiting to exploit .”
The UK’s Digital ID has sparked concerns, too
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a digital ID scheme in September, which would require citizens to prove their right to live and work in the country.
The government is pushing the measure as a way to combat illegal workers, while also cutting down wait times to verify identities and gain access to government services, such as licenses, childcare, welfare and tax.
Critics argue that the scheme raises privacy concerns as individuals would be required to provide personal information to be stored on a government app, and it would be too easy for the government to misuse it.
Related: I funded my lifestyle from Bitcoin, not Telegram: Pavel Durov
Over 2.8 million people have already signed a petition opposing the introduction of a digital ID. Petitions that gain more than 100,000 signatures have to be considered for debate in Parliament.
Australia’s online age verification system raises privacy issues as well
Australia will restrict access to social media platforms for users under 16 from Dec. 10, and one of the measures floated to enforce the ban has been an online digital age verification system.
Lawmakers in the country argue that the scheme will protect minors from harmful content online. However, critics share similar privacy concerns with the UK system, namely that it could lead to government misuse and create privacy issues with the storage of data.
Magazine: Worldcoin’s less ‘dystopian,’ more cypherpunk rival: Billions Network